More than half of rural women unwilling to marry, study finds

A recent analysis of South Korean singles reveals a significant divide in marriage intentions based on location, with women in rural "eupmyeon" areas expressing the least desire to marry.

According to the 'Regional Unmarried Men and Women's Encounters' study, released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, over 57% of unmarried women in rural areas stated they had no intention of marrying. This contrasts sharply with metropolitan areas, where only 41.6% of women shared the same sentiment. Women in large cities (45.8%) and towns within provinces (41.3%) fell somewhere in between, with rural women showing a 15.3 percentage point higher reluctance to marry than the average for other regions.

Men, however, displayed a more uniform attitude across regions, with marriage intentions ranging from 29.8% in metropolitan areas to 36.2% in provincial towns. Their overall willingness to marry remained higher than that of women, regardless of their location.

The reasons behind this reluctance also differed between genders. Men most frequently cited "economic, employment, and housing" issues (50.9%) as their primary reason for not wanting to marry. Women, on the other hand, predominantly stated they "don't feel the need" (51%).

Furthermore, the study highlighted disparities in how singles meet and their plans for settling down. Rural areas reported a lower rate of current relationships (18.2%) compared to metropolitan areas (27%). While meeting through activities like school or work was more common in cities, provincial towns relied more on introductions from acquaintances. Notably, rural areas saw a higher reliance on online dating apps (24.1%) than other regions. The lack of cultural and leisure facilities was also cited as a significant barrier in rural areas (45.9%) compared to metropolitan centers (20%).

Even when couples do form, settling down in the same region is not a given. A higher percentage of respondents indicated a willingness to move after marriage in metropolitan areas (37.8%) and large cities (42.9%) compared to provincial towns (33.4%) and rural areas (27.5%). Overall, 70.4% of those currently in relationships expressed an intention to relocate within five years. Across all regions, expanding job opportunities and increasing income were identified as the top policy priority for settlement.

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The meeting and marriage of young people are not just a matter of individual will, but also related to the regional opportunity structure.